Mall dolls up for New Year’s Eve

Jennifer Shubinski

Wednesday, Dec. 29, 2004 | 11 a.m.

A portion of the valley's largest mall will transform itself into a nightclub in time for the throngs of people expected to visit Las Vegas for New Year's Eve.

The Fashion Show mall on the Las Vegas Strip will host 2005 Cloudburst, a New Year's Eve party that will feature celebrations of New Year's in four different time zones beginning Friday at 9 p.m., celebrity DJs and fashion shows.

Throughout the week leading up to Friday night's party, crews will be working to transform the mall's food court and outside plaza underneath the cloud structure into a nightclub.

Susan Houck, vice president of marketing for General Growth Properties' Las Vegas retail holdings, said the production is a natural extension of the Fashion Show.

"The thing about Fashion Show is it is more than a mall, it is truly a unique experience that includes entertainment, shopping and food," she said. "With seven anchors, 200 of the best retailers in the world and add the entertainment component, with live fashion shows and restaurants, it's a very unique experience."

Panels will be used to cover the fast food restaurants and hundreds of different light elements will be used to transform the 10,000-square-foot space.

The mall regularly hosts events and daily fashion shows, but nothing on the scale of transforming a portion of the mall for up to 5,000 New Year's Eve revelers.

The number of people that will be a captive audience is why Macy's is taking part in one of the event's fashion shows.

"We wanted to take part because with the excitement around New Year's and Vegas and Cloudburst," Andy Vecchio, Macy's store manager. "It's a tremendous opportunity to get our name out to the community and show our fashions to people at the show."

So far 10 to 15 percent of the tickets have been sold, which range in price from $59.95 to $99.95 per person, said Tucker Diedwardo, Cloudburst 2005 Fashion Show event producer.

The event is being marketed to both locals and tourists, Diedwardo said.

About 300,000 visitors are expected to flock to Las Vegas for the New Year's Eve weekend, which is expected to bring in almost $180 million in nongaming revenue.

According to Priceline.com, an online travel service, Las Vegas is the second most popular destination in the United States for New Year's Eve this year, behind only New York City.com